1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses having scanner functions can be classified into image forming apparatuses with a monochromatic scanner function and image forming apparatuses with a color scanner function.
The data format when original documents are read using the monochromatic scanner function and the data format when original documents are read using the color scanner function are different. Therefore, different processing needs to be performed depending on whether the data is acquired with the monochromatic scanner function or the color scanner function.
Research and development is therefore proceeding in order to annul the differences in formats of the input image data to be processed to make the devices and processing more efficient. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-234866, one approach could be to prepare a conversion server device having a function for converting input image data into a prescribed format, and client devices can then acquire image data of the desired format from the conversion server device.
The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-234866 requires the use of a conversion server device having a special function and that is connected to the client devices via a network. This causes the system to increase in size. It is also possible that use of the conversion server device at the desired time will not be possible because a number of client devices are sharing the conversion server device. This communication also takes place over a network. This means that the time for processing can change even when, for example, handling data for the same amount of information, depending on the state of traffic on the network.
An image forming apparatus equipped with a scanner unit creates an image from one of original document data (original document data of a first format) obtained by reading a document by using a monochromatic scanner function and original document data (original document data of a second format) obtained by reading a document by using a color scanner function. It is therefore possible to share the portions of the configuration bearing the burden of image formation by forming images based on data of a shared format after conversion after converting data of these formats temporarily to data of a prescribed shared format. For example, in the case of an image forming apparatus where one of a monochrome scanner unit and a color scanner unit is connected to a main body, this means that parts of the main body are shared. It is therefore possible to manufacture products of different specifications simply by replacing parts of the configuration that it is not possible to share.
It is therefore possible to share parts of the configuration without influencing the device scale of a main body portion by performing image-forming after temporarily creating desired data (common format) using the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-234866.
However, the problems of use not being possible when desired and the time required for processing changing depending on the traffic conditions exist when the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-234866 is used. This causes the technology to be ineffectual when viewed overall (when considering not just device scale but also ease of use).